World Cup Most Wickets In a Series: All the teams have geared for the biggest quadrennial event and from the past history we can easily assume the World Cup is not about batting, it is about bowling. Batsmen can win you games, but bowlers win you the tournament.
Sachin Tendulkar was the highest scorer in the 1996 and World Cup 2003, but India never won the World Cup. On the other hand, Glen McGrath has a record of taking most wickets in a series and his team won 3 out of 4 World Cups he played.
Anyway, let’s have a look at the players with most wickets in Different editions of the World Cup:-
| Player | Mat | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GD McGrath (AUS) ICC World Cup (in West Indies), 2007 | 11 | 80.5 | 5 | 357 | 26 | 3/14 | 13.73 | 4.41 | 18.6 | 0 | 0 |
| WPUJC Vaas (SL) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 10 | 88.0 | 14 | 331 | 23 | 6/25 | 14.39 | 3.76 | 22.9 | 1 | 1 |
| M Muralitharan (SL) ICC World Cup (in West Indies), 2007 | 10 | 84.4 | 1 | 351 | 23 | 4/19 | 15.26 | 4.14 | 22.0 | 2 | 0 |
| SW Tait (AUS) ICC World Cup (in West Indies), 2007 | 11 | 84.3 | 1 | 467 | 23 | 4/39 | 20.30 | 5.52 | 22.0 | 1 | 0 |
| MA Starc (AUS) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 2015 | 8 | 63.5 | 3 | 224 | 22 | 6/28 | 10.18 | 3.50 | 17.4 | 1 | 1 |
| TA Boult (NZ) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 2015 | 9 | 85.0 | 14 | 371 | 22 | 5/27 | 16.86 | 4.36 | 23.1 | 1 | 1 |
| B Lee (AUS) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 10 | 83.1 | 9 | 394 | 22 | 5/42 | 17.90 | 4.73 | 22.6 | 0 | 1 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Bangladesh/India/Sri Lanka), 2011 | 8 | 74.3 | 4 | 270 | 21 | 5/16 | 12.85 | 3.62 | 21.2 | 2 | 2 |
| GD McGrath (AUS) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 11 | 87.0 | 18 | 310 | 21 | 7/15 | 14.76 | 3.56 | 24.8 | 0 | 1 |
| GB Hogg (AUS) ICC World Cup (in West Indies), 2007 | 11 | 82.5 | 6 | 332 | 21 | 4/27 | 15.80 | 4.00 | 23.6 | 2 | 0 |
| Z Khan (INDIA) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Bangladesh/India/Sri Lanka), 2011 | 9 | 81.3 | 4 | 394 | 21 | 3/20 | 18.76 | 4.83 | 23.2 | 0 | 0 |
| GI Allott (NZ) ICC World Cup (in England/Ireland/Netherlands/Scotland), 1999 | 9 | 87.4 | 7 | 325 | 20 | 4/37 | 16.25 | 3.70 | 26.3 | 2 | 0 |
| SK Warne (AUS) ICC World Cup (in England/Ireland/Netherlands/Scotland), 1999 | 10 | 94.2 | 13 | 361 | 20 | 4/29 | 18.05 | 3.82 | 28.3 | 2 | 0 |
| SL Malinga (SL) ICC World Cup (in West Indies), 2007 | 8 | 58.2 | 6 | 284 | 18 | 4/54 | 15.77 | 4.86 | 19.4 | 1 | 0 |
| TG Southee (NZ) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Bangladesh/India/Sri Lanka), 2011 | 8 | 72.2 | 9 | 312 | 18 | 3/13 | 17.33 | 4.31 | 24.1 | 0 | 0 |
| UT Yadav (INDIA) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 2015 | 8 | 64.2 | 5 | 321 | 18 | 4/31 | 17.83 | 4.98 | 21.4 | 2 | 0 |
| RMH Binny (INDIA) Prudential World Cup (in England), 1983 | 8 | 88.0 | 9 | 336 | 18 | 4/29 | 18.66 | 3.81 | 29.3 | 1 | 0 |
| Wasim Akram (PAK) Benson & Hedges World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 1992 | 10 | 89.4 | 3 | 338 | 18 | 4/32 | 18.77 | 3.76 | 29.8 | 1 | 0 |
| CJ McDermott (AUS) Reliance World Cup (in India/Pakistan), 1987 | 8 | 73.0 | 3 | 341 | 18 | 5/44 | 18.94 | 4.67 | 24.3 | 1 | 1 |
| GD McGrath (AUS) ICC World Cup (in England/Ireland/Netherlands/Scotland), 1999 | 10 | 95.4 | 9 | 367 | 18 | 5/14 | 20.38 | 3.83 | 31.8 | 0 | 1 |
| Z Khan (INDIA) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 11 | 88.2 | 5 | 374 | 18 | 4/42 | 20.77 | 4.23 | 29.4 | 1 | 0 |
| Imran Khan (PAK) Reliance World Cup (in India/Pakistan), 1987 | 7 | 49.5 | 6 | 222 | 17 | 4/37 | 13.05 | 4.45 | 17.5 | 2 | 0 |
| ALF de Mel (SL) Prudential World Cup (in England), 1983 | 6 | 66.0 | 13 | 265 | 17 | 5/32 | 15.58 | 4.01 | 23.2 | 0 | 2 |
| S Madan Lal (INDIA) Prudential World Cup (in England), 1983 | 8 | 83.0 | 8 | 285 | 17 | 4/20 | 16.76 | 3.43 | 29.2 | 1 | 0 |
| Mohammed Shami (INDIA) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 2015 | 7 | 61.0 | 7 | 294 | 17 | 4/35 | 17.29 | 4.81 | 21.5 | 1 | 0 |
| M Morkel (SA) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 2015 | 8 | 68.1 | 4 | 299 | 17 | 3/34 | 17.58 | 4.38 | 24.0 | 0 | 0 |
| SE Bond (NZ) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 8 | 78.0 | 12 | 305 | 17 | 6/23 | 17.94 | 3.91 | 27.5 | 0 | 1 |
| M Muralitharan (SL) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 10 | 87.4 | 7 | 319 | 17 | 4/28 | 18.76 | 3.63 | 30.9 | 1 | 0 |
| JE Taylor (WI) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 2015 | 7 | 57.3 | 2 | 328 | 17 | 3/15 | 19.29 | 5.70 | 20.2 | 0 | 0 |
| L Klusener (SA) ICC World Cup (in England/Ireland/Netherlands/Scotland), 1999 | 9 | 75.5 | 5 | 350 | 17 | 5/21 | 20.58 | 4.61 | 26.7 | 0 | 1 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq (PAK) ICC World Cup (in England/Ireland/Netherlands/Scotland), 1999 | 10 | 83.4 | 4 | 379 | 17 | 5/35 | 22.29 | 4.52 | 29.5 | 0 | 1 |
| AJ Bichel (AUS) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 8 | 57.0 | 7 | 197 | 16 | 7/20 | 12.31 | 3.45 | 21.3 | 0 | 1 |
| VC Drakes (WI) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 6 | 51.5 | 7 | 208 | 16 | 5/33 | 13.00 | 4.01 | 19.4 | 0 | 2 |
| NW Bracken (AUS) ICC World Cup (in West Indies), 2007 | 10 | 71.4 | 10 | 258 | 16 | 4/19 | 16.12 | 3.60 | 26.8 | 1 | 0 |
| IT Botham (ENG) Benson & Hedges World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 1992 | 10 | 89.0 | 7 | 306 | 16 | 4/31 | 19.12 | 3.43 | 33.3 | 1 | 0 |
| Mushtaq Ahmed (PAK) Benson & Hedges World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 1992 | 9 | 78.0 | 3 | 311 | 16 | 3/41 | 19.43 | 3.98 | 29.2 | 0 | 0 |
| AA Donald (SA) ICC World Cup (in England/Ireland/Netherlands/Scotland), 1999 | 9 | 82.0 | 7 | 325 | 16 | 4/17 | 20.31 | 3.96 | 30.7 | 2 | 0 |
| CZ Harris (NZ) Benson & Hedges World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 1992 | 9 | 72.1 | 4 | 342 | 16 | 3/15 | 21.37 | 4.73 | 27.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wahab Riaz (PAK) ICC Cricket World Cup (in Australia/New Zealand), 2015 | 7 | 66.1 | 4 | 368 | 16 | 4/45 | 23.00 | 5.56 | 24.8 | 1 | 0 |
| J Srinath (INDIA) ICC World Cup (in Kenya/South Africa/Zimbabwe), 2003 | 11 | 91.1 | 4 | 369 | 16 | 4/30 | 23.06 | 4.04 | 34.1 | 2 | 0 |
| Shoaib Akhtar (PAK) ICC World Cup (in England/Ireland/Netherlands/Scotland), 1999 | 10 | 80.5 | 6 | 391 | 16 | 3/11 | 24.43 | 4.83 | 30.3 | 0 | 0 |
| DL Vettori (NZ) ICC World Cup (in West Indies), 2007 | 10 | 97.4 | 2 | 447 | 16 | 4/23 | 27.93 | 4.57 | 36.6 | 1 | 0 |
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